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We say
good-bye to Mr. Finn, a man who continued on
This Memorial Day weekend brought a new memory to our hearts.
John Finn, who a 100 years of age, died on May 27, 2010 at a
veterans home in Chula Vista, CA. Finn was the oldest recipient
of the Medal of Honor, and was well known to many for his no
nonsense, spunky demeanor.
His mind was sharp and his memories vivid, as he
recounted memories from his past. On December 7, 1941, as a
Chief Petty Officer, he heard the rumble of the attack on Pearl
Harbor, the day that lives in infamy in our nations history.
He reported to Kaneohe Bay station and commandeered a
heavy-caliber machine gun and set it up on a makeshift tripod of
spare pipes. He was out in the open and had a clear view of what
he called the bright read meatball, the rising sun insignia on
the underside of wings on the attacking aircraft, and gave them
what he recounted, a warm welcome.
He stood his post, firing at wave after wave of
Japanese Zeroes for over three and a half hours.
He said, I was out there shooting the Jap plans and
just every so often I was a target for some. They were Japanese
fighter plane pilots, I can remember seeing, in some cases, I
could see their faces.”
During the fray, Finn suffered more than twenty
injuries, including a bullet wound in his left arm, a broken
left foot; shrapnel to his chest, stomach, right elbow and
thumb; and a laceration on his scalp.
Finn refused to leave his post until specific orders
were given to him to seek medical help.
He said, “Medical help comes later. If you're busy shooting a
machine gun or a rifle or a pistol or doing anything, you can't
worry about getting medical attention.
Nine months after D-Day, on September 15, 1942, Finn was awarded
the Medal of Honor by Pacific commander Adm. Chester W. Nimitz
on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in Pearl
Harbor.
This award, to John Finn, was the only one awarded for
combat.
Finn was a plumber's son, born July 23, 1909 in Los Angeles, CA.
He dropped out of school after the seventh grade and enlisted in
the Navy at the age of 17. He became an officer after receiving
the Medal of Honor.
He retired in 1956 at the rank of lieutenant, and moved
to a 93-acre ranch in Campo, CA.
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